Best cuts for slow roast lamb

Best Cuts For Slow Roast Lamb

SHOULDER Roasting joint that is inexpensive because it carries a little more fat. The bone running through the centre makes it a little more difficult to carve. Shoulder benefits from long, slow roasting, and can be boned and rolled, as can the smaller knuckle and fillet ends of the shoulder.

BEST END OF NECK This has the very best flavour, and is made up of lean meat. It cooks very quickly, and will feed two perfectly. It is also the most expensive cut.

LOINA lovely joint for roasting, on or off the bone, because it carries a little more fat than the leg but not as much as the shoulder. A boned loin is ideal for stuffing.

BREAST The most fatty of all the joints, the breast is under-used and underrated. When it has been boned and rolled around a dry, lean, well-flavoured stuffing, it produces a beautifully flavoured, tender and inexpensive roasting joint.

CHUMP This is an inexpensive, small boneless joint made of well-flavoured meat with no waste. Ideal for two.

LEG A favourite cut of lamb for roasting. A whole leg is ideal for serving large numbers, and yields plenty of lean, tender meat. It can be divided into two joints (the fillet end has the best flavour).

TIPS FOR ROASTING LAMB

Let the meat come to room temperature just before roasting it.

Always season well before cooking.

With larger roasting joints, start the meat off at a high temperature (230°C/fan210°C/gas8) for 15 minutes, to get the heat through to the centre of the joint, then reduce the temperature to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6 and continue to roast for 13 minutes per 500g for rare (very pink in the middle), 18 minutes per 500g for medium (just pink nearest the bone) and 20-22 minutes per 500g for well done

For small joints such as a rack – which cooks through much faster – roast at the higher temperature of 230°C/fan210°C/gas8 for the whole cooking time.

Rest the meat before carving. This allows the meat fibres – which contract in the oven – to relax again, giving juicier meat.